Simplified the direct stiff minor responses

Monday, September 29, 2003 8:52 PM

Hand Evaluation - Improving Jacoby 2NT

PITBULLS:

Jacoby 2NT shows a forcing major raise with 4 trump or a limit raise with 4 trump in our system. What it does not show is a good suit as a source of tricks or you would have made a 2/1 followed by a jump in the major. Also , what it does not show is a singleton or else a splinter would have been a more beneficial bid.

The Jacoby 2NT is an old convention . Bergen , Martel and the Swedes have improved it . Serious 3NT theory can also assist the effectiveness of the Jacoby 2NT . The main complaint about Jacoby 2NT is that it does not show minimums or maximums with singletons . The treatment also did not show minimums very well as the jump to game opposite an unlimited hand jammed slam exploration to the 5 level so violated fast arrival. The old treatment also does not allow the opener to “explore” responders hand very well . The following treatment is my opinion is a better way to play Jacoby 2NT.

The 3♣ bid should be reserved to show any minimum even with singletons. This eradicates the horrible leap to game to show a minimum . This treatment allows the other hand to ask for the singleton if there is still slam interest after a shown minimum . Why show a singleton if you have a minimum so help the opponents with their lead ? The principle of concealment with minimums comes into play. This leaves the opening leader in the dark where declarer can have a singleton on an auction

1♠-P-2NT-P

3♣-P-4♠-P

If partner still has slam aspirations so wants to ask for the singleton , she bids 3♦ after your 3♣ reply so you bid up the line to show your respective stiffs. My partner recommends just use the rank order of suits starting with clubs to show the stiffs & bypass the trump suit which shows a minimum with no stiffs. No memory work involved. The effectiveness of the 3♣ bid has to be appreciated though.

Spades trump 3♦ asks 3♥ - stiff ♣ . 3 ♠ - no stiff , 3NT – stiff diamond , 4♣ - stiff ♥

Hearts trump 3♦ asks 3♥- no stiff , 3♠ - stiff ♣ , 3NT – stiff diamond , 4♣ - stiff ♠

The direct 3♦ bid is reserved for all good hands with a stiff diamond . Rebidding your major shows a good hand with a stiff club. With this treatment you know the singleton at the 3 level with the additional fact that partner has a good hand. Without duplication of value , Q bidding will commence under game.

This treatment leaves the other major to show a singleton in that major with a good hand after 2NT . A jump to game is a very rare picture bid so would show all values in the trump suit with no outside controls. A 3NT response is a “serious “ slam try & includes good hands with no stiffs. These bids are all the same as standard Jacoby 2NT. Only the 3♣ & rebidding your trump suit responses to 2NT differs from standard Jacoby 2NT.

If partner made a Jacoby 2NT with a limit raise with you replying 3♣ , a return to our suit is a sign off showing the limit raise. With distribution you may over rule & bid game anyway but the “blame transfer” is complete J

Jacoby 2NT is a you tell me type of bid . If you want to reverse that process you use the “Serious 3NT”. All good hands where you want to take control by showing serious slam interest, is done by the “Serious 3NT” . This forces partner to Q bid . You may have a singleton , a void , a 6 card suit or whatever but you want to take control rather then tell partner what you have. The 3NT bid switches captaincy of the auction . This bid tells partner that the next bid (if your Q bidding goes well ) will probably be KCB Blackwood.

A jump at the 4 level shows a two suiter. A jump at the 5 level is Exclusion Blackwood with a void. Two suiters with maximum values would probably be bid by the “Serious 3NT” route , where you need to discover specific controls for slam.

Established partnerships play inverted minors as “limit raise or better” . The major structure should parallel the minor structure in my opinion. Jacoby 2NT is limit raise or better because you can “get out” with the 3♣ bid showing the dog. The beauty of this treatment is that it frees 1♠-P-3♠ , 1♥-P-3♥ from the clumsy limit raise bid. These bids can now be used as slightly pre-emptive i.e. a simple raise with 4 trump. The law of total tricks can be used to access a hand so a simple raise can guarantee three trump. This is a nice side effect of improving your Jacoby 2NT.